What happened to the charge?

[TJ]

6 years ago MU was having contests for who on the team drew the most charges and now they can hardly buy a charge call.  Refs seem to be a lot less willing to make that call and default to calling a block most of the time.  Has that been a point of emphasis with the refs/NCAA to try and stop the flopping and/or the dangerous play?  Are our guys just not good at setting or not trying to?  Is it just my imagination?

[brewcity77]

There were at least 2-3 charges that were called blocking last night. That, the traveling call when they allowed the guy two steps and a pushup in the paint before the shot, the clear goaltend on Vander's shot...but that does sound like whining, doesn't it? There were some bad missed calls, but there were more calls that the refs got right. A few out-of-bounds calls that went Cincy's way drew bad crowd reactions despite being clearly the right call, other stuff where it would have been ticky-tack to call. Not a good reffing performance, but far from a bad one.

[TJ]

There were at least 2-3 charges that were called blocking last night. That, the traveling call when they allowed the guy two steps and a pushup in the paint before the shot, the clear goaltend on Vander's shot...but that does sound like whining, doesn't it? There were some bad missed calls, but there were more calls that the refs got right. A few out-of-bounds calls that went Cincy's way drew bad crowd reactions despite being clearly the right call, other stuff where it would have been ticky-tack to call. Not a good reffing performance, but far from a bad one.

While I agree with most of what you said, I wasn't posting to complain about the reffing last night.  I guess I shouldn't have posted it today if that was my intent.

I feel like the refs all season have been much less likely to call a charge than in years past and I'm wondering if it's just me, something about this team, or a league-wide change?

[brewcity77]

While I agree with most of what you said, I wasn't posting to complain about the reffing last night.  I guess I shouldn't have posted it today if that was my intent.

I feel like the refs all season have been much less likely to call a charge than in years past and I'm wondering if it's just me, something about this team, or a league-wide change?

Oh no, I got what you meant, I just started typing and realized that I sounded like I was whining

I'm not sure how widespread it is, but the charge calls certainly seem to be down. We are still attempting to draw them, as evidenced by the regular blocking calls we are whistled for, but we probably aren't trying as much as we were in years past. Not sure if there was a different mindset with guys like James, if it's less of a focus with Buzz, or if the refs refusing to make that call has made it harder to draw and thus led to us trying to get it less.

[TallTitan34]

I was watching the Villanova / St. John's game last weekend and St. John's got screwed out of 3 charges at the end of the game.  (Props to Timmy Higgins who actually reversed one of the blocking foul calls)  Live it looked like the player was set before the player took off and replay confirmed it. 

They were playing on the 76'ers floor and the no-charge circle was present.  One of the commentators said it was because of the no-charge circle (even though the St. John's player was outside of it).

I realize the no-charge circle is only in the NBA, but do you think refs are not calling charges beneath the basket as if that was a rule?  I just don't understand why all of these charges are getting called as blocking fouls.

[brewcity77]

Not exactly the same, but I've seen defensive fouls also called more on plays where a guy lowers the shoulder. If you put your head down and drive into the guy out of control, that should be an offensive foul. As soon as the shoulder becomes a battering ram, it's offensive, but there have been at least 3-4 of those I've seen by opposing offensive players at the BC that either went uncalled or were called as defensive fouls.

[MUEng92]

My absolute favorite was in the second half.  Dickie described a play under the MU basket as "a good no-call".  Then, they showed the replay.  I believe it was Crowder who had the ball under the basket and started to go up for a shot and a Cincy player not only hit his arm, but basically grabbed his forearm for a split second and the ball when up in the air.  Dickie was noticably silent after the replay.

It was a good teaching moment for my daughter.  Refs are not infallable by any stretch of the imagination.

[Freeport Warrior]

I didn't see the entire game, but on the two I saw -- one with Crowder -- he was slightly falling back before contact was made. That's a block most of the time. All year, it seems like guys are bailing out right before the offensive guy makes contact.

[MUMac]

The confusion with the charge/blocking call, IMHO, is with the rule change last year.  To avoid collissions under or near the basket, and to protect the player in the air, the rule was changed last year.  You cannot leave your man and take a charge on someone elses man in "close proximity" to the basket.  The unfortunate part of the rule is they did not define the "close proximity".  The NBA uses the dotted line.  The NCAA has the invisible line.

If you watch the calls by the officials, they merely point to a blocking foul.  They do not give the motion that the player was either moving or not set in time.

I thought the calls against us yesterday were appropriate to the rule change.